Microsoft Publisher alternatives
Updated
For most small business and school work, Word or PowerPoint, Canva, or the free Affinity app will replace Publisher. None of them opens .pub files directly, so convert old files to PowerPoint, Word or PDF first.
| App | Price (checked 2026-10-27) | Opens .pub files? | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affinity (by Canva) | Free for individuals | Not listed. Import a PDF instead | Print layout, brochures, magazines |
| Canva | Free plan. Pro $18/month or $180/year (Aug 2026 review) | No. Imports .pptx, .docx, .pdf, .odg | Flyers, social posts, quick designs |
| Scribus | Free, open source | Basic import in version 1.5 and later | Print layout |
| LibreOffice Draw | Free, open source | Yes, through libmspub | Opening old files, simple layouts |
| Word and PowerPoint | Part of Microsoft 365 | No | Microsoft's own suggestion for flyers, cards, calendars |
What Microsoft suggests
Microsoft says Word or PowerPoint cover most common Publisher jobs, such as flyers, business cards, calendars, envelopes and labels, and points to templates on Microsoft Create.
Moving your old files
Convert each .pub file to PowerPoint if you want to keep the layout and edit text. Convert to Word if you mostly need the text. Keep a PDF of every file as an archive copy.
Convert your file now
Questions
What is the closest free replacement for Publisher?
Affinity is free for individuals and is built for page layout. Scribus and LibreOffice Draw are free and open source.
Does Affinity open .pub files?
Affinity does not list .pub among the formats it imports. Convert the file to PDF first.
Is Microsoft Designer a replacement?
Microsoft's Publisher retirement page does not mention Designer. It points to Word, PowerPoint and Microsoft Create templates.
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026
- Affinity: free for individuals
- Canva developer docs: design import file types
- Piktochart: Canva pricing 2026
- libre arts: Scribus Publisher import
- BetaNews: LibreOffice adds support for Microsoft Publisher files
More guides: Publisher to Word, Publisher to PDF, Publisher to PowerPoint, Publisher to Canva, Open .pub without Publisher, .pub on Mac, Publisher retirement, Bulk convert, Converter comparison